Improvement in wagon-brakes



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

IRWIN S. WRIGHT, OF OENTERVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BRAKES.

Spccication forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,999, dated November 19, 1878; application led J une 20, 1878.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRWIN S. WRIGHT, of Centerville, Fresno county, in the State of Galifornia, have invented an Improved Wagon- Brake; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to certain drawings accompanying this specification, and forming a part of the same.

My invention consists in arranging a brake bar in front and one in rear of a pair of wagonwheels, and connecting them by a sin gle brakelever wit-h suitable mechanism, as will be hereinafter described, so that when the brakes are put on one set will act against the front and the other against the rear of the wheels, thus clamping the wheels with a positive gripe, that can be applied, if desired, with sufficient power to completely lock the wheels.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a bottomplan view. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with a portion of one of the wheels removed.

Let A A represent two wheels of a wagon, and B the axle which connects them. From the wagon-bed C, I suspend a brake-bar, D, in rear ofthe wheels, and another, E, in front of them, so that the two bars will be diametrically opposite each other, as shown. These bars I provide with brake-shoes, in the ordinary way. Just in front of the axle B, I mount a roller, F, parallel with the axle, the ends of which are supported in bearings g, which project from the axles. One end of this roller is bent upward at right angles, so as to form an arm or lever, h, which passes up alongside the wagon-bed. The upper end of this arm or lever I connect with the usual brake-lever I of a wagon by the rod h. The roller F has two arms or lugs, j j, project-ing upward from it, and two similar lugs, k k, projecting downward from it, as shown. The upperarms, jj,

I connect with the rear brake-bar, E, by means of rods on, while thelower arms, kk, I connect with the forward brake-bar, D, bymeans of rods a, so that when the roller F is partially rotated, byV moving the brake-lever I forward the upper arms, j j, will be thrown forward, and the lower arms, k 7c, backward, thus drawing the brake-bars D E against the opposite edges of the wheels and applying the shoes to their rims. rlhe outer ends of the rods m a are cut with screw-threads, and are secured to the brake-bars by means of set-nuts o p, one on each side of the bars, so that the bars can be set closer to or farther from the rims of the wheels, as desired, and thus adjust the throw of the lever.

I thus provide an extremely simple device for moving the brake-bars against or away from the wheels. The application of a brakebar on each vside of the wheels provides a powerful means for braking the wheels, by which I am able, if desired, to instantly arrest their rotation; or the power can be applied more slowly, and any required amount of friction obtained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent,

The means, substantially as herein described, for simultaneously bringing in conta-ct with both Ysides or opposite edges of a wheel the brake-bars D E, whichy consist in the roller F, provided with arms or lugs jj 7c la, upon the upper and lower sides of said roller, and connecting with the brake-bars by screw-rods m a, one end of the roller terminating in arightangle arm extending in au upward direction, and connected to the brake-lever I by rod h, as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

IRWIN STANFORD WVRIGHT. [L. S.]

Witnesses CHAs. L. WArNwRrG-ET, JAMES H. DALY. 

